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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. ball — a great time
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bank — of a river
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. content — the amount
  8. bank — for money
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bank — for money
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. content — happy
  18. lie — an untruth

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com